Brad's Brace helps Beavers beat the Seagulls

Beavers go two points off top spot after coming from behind to beat Weston-Super-Mare

A brace from Bradley Hudson-Odoi helped Hampton and Richmond Borough come from behind to beat Weston-Super Mare 3-1 at the Beveree.

Shaun Jeffers also got his name on the score sheet once again, scoring his third goal in as many matches.

Both sides went into the match with the intention of playing good football, by retaining possession and keeping the ball on the ground.

However, that possession-based football nearly cost the away side in just the third minute after a defensive mishap led to a great chance for Brendan Kiernan, but he could only blaze his effort over the crossbar.

Jeffers also had a chance early on after Joshua Casey did well to surge into the box and cut the ball back for the striker, however his left-footed effort was struck straight at Seagulls keeper Luke Purnell.

With two decent chances not taken by the Beavers, it was the visitors who took the lead 13 minutes in, after a delightful effort by Mohammad Baghdadi.

After a neat one-two on the edge of the box between the winger and captain Jacob Cane, Baghdadi then fired a left-footed strike from around 25 yards out into the top left-hand corner, beating keeper Will Henry all ends up.

After falling behind, the Beavers moved up a gear and became the dominant side, creating more chances of their own.

A good chance for Jack Cook came on the half hour mark, when Hudson-Odoi floated a cross towards the defender, but he could only direct his towering header off target.

Hampton looked the team most likely to score and with ten minutes before the break, they did as they bagged two goals within that time to turn the match on its head.

In the 36th minute, a long ball from keeper Will Henry – whose all-round distribution was superb – picked out Bradley Hudson-Odoi who managed to drop the shoulder, beat the defender and then strike a sweet half volley beyond keeper Purnell into the bottom right hand corner.

Then in the 42nd minute, after receiving the ball from Shandon Baptiste inside the box, Shaun Jeffers calmly stroked his left-footed shot across the keeper and into the bottom right hand corner, to give the Beavers the lead going into half time.

It was an uneventful start to the second half, with a lack of chances from both sides and neither goalkeeper being tested.

But in the 62nd minute, as Hudson-Odoi let the ball bounce after a short throwing, he struck a venomous half volley from long-range towards goal.

And when keeper Purnell was finally brought into action for the Seagulls, he misjudged the shot completely which saw the Beavers extend their lead in somewhat strange circumstances.

Weston-Super-Mare never gave up and had a couple of chances of their own in the last ten minutes, but unfortunately for the visitors Beavers keeper Will Henry was in fine form, making a couple of fantastic stops.

Henry denied a Weston chance at the near post shortly before making a stunning acrobatic save, tipping the ball over the crossbar for a corner, after a curling effort from Weston’s Gethyn Hill.

In stoppage time, after great work by substitute Harrison Crawford to cut the ball back, Shaun Jeffers nearly scored his second from inside the box, but defender Jason Pope did well to stop his strike on the line.

But in the end the Beavers secured all three points after another impressive home performance, which sees them go two points behind leaders Havant & Waterlooville, who they will face next week in what is a huge clash at the top of the National League South.